Turkey-Syria Case Study

Question 1

Where did the earthquake occur?

Answer 1

In SE Turkey, near the border with Syria

Question 2

When did the earthquake occur?

Answer 2

February 2023

Question 3

What was the nature of the earthquake?

Answer 3

Two major earthquakes occurred on the same day along a fault

Question 4

What were the magnitudes of both earthquakes?

Answer 4

• 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at 4am
• 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1pm

Question 5

How deep was the focus of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake?

Answer 5

11km

Question 6

Where did the initial earthquake occur?

Answer 6

Gaziantep, home to many Syrian refugees and humanitarian organisations

Question 7

Where did the second earthquake occur?

Answer 7

Ekinozu, a city located north of Gaziantep

Question 8

Along which plate boundary did these earthquakes occur?

Answer 8

Between the Arabian and Anatolian plates

Question 9

How many deaths were caused?

Answer 9

68,000 total
- 60,000 in Turkey
- 8,000 in Syria

Question 10

How many people were injured in SE Turkey?

Answer 10

100,000

Question 11

How many people were made homeless?

Answer 11

1.5 million

Question 12

How many homeless people remained homeless one year on?

Answer 12

500,000

Question 13

What was one of the main causes of the high death toll?

Answer 13

People died of hypothermia beneath collapsed buildings

Question 14

How much economic damage did the disaster cause?

Answer 14

$115 billion total
- $100 billion in Turkey
- $15 billion in Syria

Question 15

How much of Turkey’s agricultural output was affected?

Answer 15

20%

Question 16

How many buildings were damaged or destroyed?

Answer 16

200,000

Question 17

What was the UN estimate of economic damages to agriculture?

Answer 17

$7 billion

Question 18

What happened in the Turkish port city of Inskenderun?

Answer 18

A fire broke out

Question 19

What happened in NW Syria?

Answer 19

A dam cracked and burst, causing extensive flooding

Question 20

What was the impact on food security in Turkey?

Answer 20

Decreased agricultural output led to food insecurity

Question 21

Why were the Turkish government criticised?

Answer 21

Political corruption had led to poor building standards

Question 22

What had the Turkish government introduced in 1999?

Answer 22

An earthquake tax - none of this money was used for protection due to corruption

Question 23

Where did people seek shelter?

Answer 23

Stadiums and mosques

Question 24

How many volunteers arrived from around the world?

Answer 24

140,000 volunteers from 94 countries

Question 25

What did the Turkish government promise following the earthquake?

Answer 25

To build 250,000 new homes in the 11 affected provinces

Question 26

How many people were provided with temporary housing?

Answer 26

2 million

Question 27

How many Syria Civil Defence personnel were deployed across NW Syria?

Answer 27

2,000 (also known as the White Helmets)

Question 28

What impact did the disaster have on poverty in Turkey?

Answer 28

• 40% of households in the 11 affected regions lived below the poverty line before the disaster
• This has increased to 50% following the earthquake

Question 29

What type of plate boundary exists between the Arabian and Anatolian plates?

Answer 29

Conservative plate boundary